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CHICAGO WOMEN JOIN "EGG STRIKE" TO HIT
FOOD GAMBLERS
Chicago clubwomen are in sympa
thy with Aid. George Pretzel's sug
gestion of an "egg strike" lasting dhe
month. Pretzel believes that only in
this manner can the price of eggs -be
forced down. The alderman says he
has received communications from
.several organizations announcing
jtheir co-operation.
"1 have arranged with the women
to call the strike immediately," said
Pretzel. "It will be an absolute boy
cott This seems to be the only way
of getting real action in a quick man
ner. I have talked with Dist Atty
Clyne and there seems to be no way
of getting at the food hogs."
Pretzel will talk to the women's
organization of the 26th ward today
on the, boycott Tomorrow the Po
litical Equality league will hear the
alderman's plans.
In New York Comm'r John Dillon,
head of the state dep't of foods and
markets Is urging an egg strike. "If
you can't get eggs for less than 35
cents a dozen," says Dillon, "cut
them out!"
Dillon, who is considered an au
thority on the cost of living, believes
the egg situation is one that the
housewife- can attack with the hope
of eetting results.
"In general, the housewife is as
helpless as a babe in the woods!"
Dillon says. "I don't say the situa
tion is hopeless, but that the house
wife alone is nearly helpless.
"The high price of eggs is an ex
ception. Speculators put eggs into
cold .storage last spring at about 22
cents a dozen. The cost of keeping
them there ten months is only 2
cents. A wholesale price today of
28 cents would give an excellent
profit The retail price should not
be over 33 cents.
"Yet the actual price Is running all
. the way TTom 45 to 60 .cents!
tirte for eggs, and that is milk. The
public doesn't appreciate that milk is
the cheapest and best food we have.
"One quart of milk is worth eight
fresh eggs in nutrient value. You can
buy milk at from '8 to 10 cents a
quart. Eight fresh eggs would cost
you something like 50 cents. The
housewife should substitute milk for
eggs and use it in every way, for
drinking and cooking."
On the broader phases of the high
cost of living, Comm'n Dillon said
there is little opportunity for action
on the part of the individual house
wife. He proposed a state or municipal
solution.
"The present crisis is only a more
pronounced form of a permanent
condition," he said. "We always leave
a few gamblers free to manipulate
and speculate in the necessities of
life.
"The' solution will have to be a
municipal system of food distribu
tion..' Cities regulate distribution of
water, gas and electric power. Why
should they let the food supply go
through the hands of irresponsible
speculators?
"We must assemble the food sup
ply of the whole city in one huge ter
minal market with cold storage fa
cilities. "The city itself would own a small
percentage of the supply of each. .
commodity. Then suppose there was
an attempt made to gouge the public,
as is being done with eggs. The city
at once would jump into the market
and sell eggs at a fair profit If the
city sold eggs at 33 cents, how long
could retailers get 60 cents for them?
"Our cities buUd and maintain
poorhouses, homes for the aged and
for orphans, and charitable institu
tions. Hunger and privation are fill
ing these places.
'A proper system of food.distribu-
'!Th?rfi W godt cheap 3UbtI-4 tton OR tie part of the city-would JS